Two of three judges ruled the Chinese fighter the victor after three hard-fought rounds, giving him his first win in the octagon.

The welterweight fight kicked off today’s UFC 173 card at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass ahead of additional prelims on FOX Sports 1 and prior to the pay-per-view main card.

The final scorecards were 29-28, 28-29 and 30-27 for Li, who grew more comfortable on his feet as the fight progressed.

Michaud exposed the Chinese fighter’s weakness on the ground in the second frame, gaining back mount with plenty of time and nearly cinching a rear-naked choked. Li, however, was able to survive.

While Michaud was the more aggressive fighter in striking, Li was more accurate in exchanges, countering with tight inside punches and kicks. By the end of the first frame, Michaud’s left eye was swollen badly and later began to bleed.

Both fighters went for broke in the third, with Michaud trying to replicate his success in the second and Li punishing him on the way in. Michaud got the fight to the mat, and opened a nasty cut on his opponent’s face, but allowed an escape and couldn’t cinch a last-minute guillotine.

“We really didn’t expect him to be that tough out there,” Li said. “He was much stronger than I expected, too. I’m going to stay strong and keep working with my wonderful coaches. I’m the next Bruce Lee. Wait and see.”

“He was just too tough for me,” Michaud said. “I hurt my hand at some point, and he really messed my toe up on one of the takedowns. It’s pretty swollen now, but it didn’t affect mein the fight. Hat’s off to him.”

Li extends his current win streak to three fights while Michaud, who once appeared on “The Ultimate Fighter 16,” suffers his first pro loss.

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